Solena Materials relocates to a new pilot facility

Textile innovation company Solena Materials, which uses AI to design plastic-free protein-based fibres for luxury and high-performance fabrics, has relocated to a new pilot facility in North Acton, west London, as it prepares for its first commercial product launch in 2027.

The move marks a major step for the start-up, a spinout from Imperial College London, towards scaling production of next-generation textiles, which offer a lower-carbon, plastic-free, oil-free and biodegradable alternative to existing options.

Solena is among the first tenants to occupy Imperial College London's newest innovation and advanced manufacturing location, located in the heart of WestTech London. The relocation follows Solena's 5.1-million-pound seed round in April 2025 and marks a critical transition from breakthrough lab research to scalable production.

In a statement, Solena said the new site provides the company “with the space and infrastructure needed to advance its computationally designed protein materials and optimise manufacturing processes ahead of industrial-scale technology transfer”.

It will have the capacity to produce up to two tonnes of fibre per year, enabling the start-up to service its existing premium athleisure and luxury brand partners while preparing for full commercial roll-out.

Solena was founded in 2022 by chief executive, Dr James MacDonald, a scientist with a PhD in Structural Biology from Birkbeck, University of London, alongside Professor Paul Freemont and Professor Milo Shaffer. Its investors include Sir David Harding, SynBioVen, and Insempra.

The new facility will allow the company to accelerate research into computational biology, synthetic biology, and materials science, transforming groundbreaking protein design into real-world, plastic-free textile solutions for the fashion and performance wear industries.

John Anderson, chief investment officer at Imperial College London, said: "Solena has grown through our innovation ecosystem - starting in the Imperial Incubator, leveraging the expertise and support of London BioFoundry, and moving into the I-HUB.

“Their journey is the perfect and excellent example of how deep science ventures can scale in WestTech London, and how innovation is driving growth, not just for London, across the UK.”